Become the Belligerent
by Cragun Rhees
Summary: Jalil, April, David and Christopher embark on their final duties: stop the Sennites and Ka Anor, although this will require a journey to legendary Asgard where they will encounter new and even more dangerous gods! Please R&R! **UPDATED**
1. Chapter I

****************************BECOME THE BELLIGERENT****************************  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
By: ShiftedFlame  
  
  
  
  
  
=========================== CHAPTER I ==============================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I woke elated. Sleep was much better than before.  
  
I was not the usual divided self, thinking of the ways to deal with my Everworld problems and real world problems. Caught between two worlds with two sets of troubles, worries and crisises.  
  
It was nice to wake without that sense of provoking seperation. Although my dreams were exactly that. It was also good to wake in the nicely built dwarf bed, no sleeping on the cold, rocky ground or cold, wet, decks with the nuiscance of the odd swerve of a boat.  
  
But waking wasn't very easy after my dreams or whatever they were. The only way to go back to the Old World was through sleep. I guessed it was just our memory, since we no longer truly existed in the other world. Or maybe the dimensional divide was so used to us crossing that we had burned some kind of permanent hole in it and it still excepted that we crossed over and pushed us through when we slept, just like always. But since we were fully in Everworld, only our minds went across, leaving our physical body in Everworld. We were nothing more than a ghost there. Nothing more than a mind, absent of the body. Reminded me of Einstein's saying that when we left the body, our minds existed as energy on some astral plane. We were mere ghosts.  
  
Being an apparition was very tentative. It was not very easy to be dreaming and also looking among your parents bed as they slept. It felt very odd. You knew your own boundaries, but could ignore them and change them. It was some online tour where it was just click and drag. Go where you want to go via some limitless Hollywood effect. The big bold print showing over the tiny window reading "TOUR OF JALIL'S OLD LIFE". Kind of unnerving seeing what was once yours flash before you, with everyone but you completely unaware of the presence.  
  
My parents seemed to be getting over my dissapearance. No real desperation. They seemed always the type to hang over things, but it seemed that they had excepted this. I was gone, no coming back. Miyuki seemed very upset, but not to a point that she was in any bad way. She seemed fine, except that she seemed to be alot more quiet.  
  
I didn't really like to talk to anyone about what I saw when I was asleep. Christopher said that he wished he still had a body so he could truly enjoy sneaking into his next-door-neighbors shower. That seemed like a very Christopher thing to say, but not Christopher at all. He had changed more than any of us in Everworld. It might have been that he was making it up to change our thoughts about him, to make us see him as the old Chris. Maybe, but not likely. It seemed like he was trying to mask himself. Trying to shield himself from the pain he felt from the marrying off what looked like his first actual love. The whole idea of Christopher in love would have made me laugh, but that was Old World Chris.  
  
Others in our party had changed too, though not as drastically as Christopher. April had made a very noticable change, but not exactly for the better. We dare not mention Senna around her, it seemed to make her well up with mixed emotions. She seemed to feel guilt about killing Senna, but also an anger about Senna in general. I am sure she regrets in some ways and is glad in others. This made me feel very sorry for her. I wonder what it might me feel like to have such a thing weigh down your conscience.  
  
David seemed to only have changed in the fact that he was no longer bound to Senna with that seemingly overbearing tension and need to save her. He seemed much more concentrated and aware of what we were going to do. Although it was obvious that he bared a deep hatred in himself for not being the hero he wanted to be.  
  
Analyzing people actually gave me comfort, oddly enough. I couldn't seem to get over the fact that I wasn't supposed to be here. I didn't believe in fate. We could choose what we wanted. That was a key difference in a human mind, choice. Nothing could predetermine my choices.  
  
Now that everything was clear and I we all knew what we were here to do, things became very hectic. I was now in charge of a fair amount of things. Merlin had instructed us not to build guns to match the Sennites until he had found the Coo-Hatch. He seemed to be convinced that the Coo- Hatch could teach the dwarves a thing or two about metallurgy. I didn't think so. I had seen how stubborn these creatures could be when they wanted to be. I suggested they search out some titanium alloy to strenghten this place against the Sennites. Not even a slight bit of interest. Only an appalled speech on how no metal would ever be better than their steel. They must have thought I had offended them.  
  
But to strenghten their defense wasn't really why I had wanted it, and they might have known that. Normally I would have told them straight up, but I was sure that they would not care whether we lived or died, rather that they still lived. They probably knew I was after it for my own purposes, I wasn't the best at lying after all. But I knew if they brought a stronger metal, our weapons would be stronger. I wouldn't mind having a titaium sword belted around me. Coo-Hatch was better. I am pretty sure that the Coo-Hatch will be much more up to making gun-powder. It was a good thing we were in caves, I am pretty sure it hard to find saltpeter around here.  
  
So this was it. We were going to gather our weapons and resources. Then David, Merlin and April were headed back to Olympus to tell Athena and those other naive gods up there of their improvements and their armies. It didn't seem like the best plan to me. The Greeks were one of our most vital assets and as far as I could see, walking up to Olympus and telling them all to fight this new enemy would make them very frightened and, knowing the Greek gods, would make them want to flee.  
  
Then the rest of us, Christopher, Goewynne, and I were setting off to Asgard, to form a few plans with Loki and Odin. Loki seemed to think that we were to destroy the Sennites before worrying about the Hetwan. It was obvious he was grieving the loss of his son, Fenrir. Odin was very shifty about letting man into Asgard because of some person named Thiazi, but Merlin was so kind to point out that Midgard was nonexisting in Everworld and that Idun was still very well enough, so the gods are safe. I had no idea what any of this meant, except for Idun. I had heard of a story called Idun and Her Apples when I was in grade school, but I didn't remember it.  
  
Once we got word that they had gotten close to the Hetwan citadel, we were going to drop our last weapon, an army of Jorfun, some kind of giants led by a the god named Surt, and Berserkers come from Muspelheim on a ship and war agianst the Sennites while we turn-tail and run to the Hetwan fortress and start the invasion of and destruction of Ka Anor. This all sounded very faulty to me. I didn't dare crunch the statistics to see if we would succeed. I also felt no need to note that if we failed against the Sennites there was no way the others would win against Ka Anor. The Nordic gods were the only thing that held strong. The Greeks were to puerile and violent. The Norse were strong warriors can could probably pull this war right back to our side with out a single problem.  
  
A light tap echoed on the heavy steel door. I came over and opened the large door with some difficulty. It was a dwarf. I recognized him as Berlgem a young dwarf who had helped me gather the materials needed for the coal plant. He is a very smart dwarf and seemed to catch on to the idea of water pressure very fast.  
  
"Lord Jalil," he said in a very buisnesslike tone. Many of the dwarves had gone to calling me "lord", even though that wasn't really my real title. If had anything to do with it I rather be 'Professor', or maybe 'Court Advisor'. Lord held to much responsibility. "The pumpers have gotten tired and are loafing. There is not enough steam to manage all of this." Not good. If the whole places electricity went down we were screwed as a group. The King would be pissed! I racked my brain thinking for another soultion. I knew what they could do, but I didn't think it would get much of an applause from the King. King Baldwin didn't seem to like immolate his resources, this meant water. I ran the plan by the young dwarf anyway, I didn't have anytime to deal with the rantings of a rich king. It was time to get back to Olympus, where we belonged.  
  
"You can sacrifice a well and make pipes that continually pushed water onto the flames.That could give you enough water to turn the turbines forever. Wait, no, you have to ration. Wait, hold on." I racked my brain again. This was really pissing me off. I don't really like offering soultions to every small problem. But it seemed true that power was low. My own bedside light was flickering madly. "Okay I got it. Come back in twenty minutes. I will be ready by then." Berlgem quickly turned on heel and marched down the steel hallway. This was a real problem. This was the third time in the past ten hours they had come to me to solve their problems. I grabbed a small scroll from the small bed side table and a long peice of charcoal. I couldn't deal with this. I knew I was clever and all, but this was outrageous.  
  
Twenty minutes later I found myself back in the throne room, looking into the eyes of King Baldwin, my face stern and undecided. King Baldwin's lip seemed to curl into a snarl. I had more important things to do than play advisor to a wise yet easily annoyed king, that wasn't my job. I was ready to give up. He sat there, unmoving, his eyebrows moving up and down as he examined the diagram of the new plant.  
  
"It will take many days. I do not have that time. My production will waver. I cannot afford this." He looked royally ticked, no pun intended. I stood, my face a mask. I couldn't show frustration, or he would be angry. Look worried, he will think you as week. Look infuriated, that was the right path. Look exactly like you felt. Angry. I had much more important things to do. Ka Anor was waiting.  
  
"Fine!" He finally said. He stood and looked over to a few dwarves at his side. "Order the building of this. Untill than you should assign new pumpers." Good man. I allowed a small smile leak through. Finally this guy had done something for himself. A few of the dwarves stalked off, looking very much like medieval businessmen.  
  
I walked out, straight out, not even being dismissed. I was greeted through the castle doors by the interesting Great Diggings. Odd as they were I couldn't help but be compelled by the resemblance they had to the North Shore. Flourishing buisnesses in a well contained area. Yuppie town of Everworld. I had definetely changed my mind. WHo cared about Merlinshire. The Great Diggings was the Industrial Hub of the buisness world. This was where I belonged. Soon enough we would be looking onto Wallstreet. Boyish, money-hungry fairies, tiny business-like dwarves, smart and ingenious elves humans caught in the flow searching out their riches, probably even a few Coo-Hatch, trading dividends on sales of their magnificent metal, if there even was any left.  
  
This was now our hide-out until Goewynne returned with her people, and after our representatives sought out a large enough amount of the tiny archers from Fairy Land. This was now our hideout from the Sennites and their terrible technology. Christopher was very optomistic that after a while they would definately run out of ammo and become so lost in Everworld's surrounding oddities that they would either be destroyed by unknown peoples, or destroy each other in their homicidal boredom. It seemed very logical, unless they found a remaining Coo-Hatch before us. Then we were truly screwed.  
  
I bent my head low to enter one of the lower hanging passages. I felt sorry for Thor. He was twice the size as any of the normal passages, it was hard to imagine how he ever reached the mouth of the Great Diggings.  
  
I wandered off to find the others. They were probably at lunch about now. I followed the path that I had took the previous nights. Finding my way to the big round room that we dined in. I pushed the large steel door open. It gave a loud creeking noise as it flew open. The room was empty, to my dismay. I guess I really should have told the others that I had gone to, that way I wouldn't lose them. I felt a soft hand place suddenly on my shoulder.  
  
April was standing behind me in an odd assortment of elfin clothing and dwarven clothing. She looked very forlorn, as if she had just recieved word that she was going to die. I guess that was true. There was a small tear in her eye.  
  
"What's up?" I asked quietly. Not usually my chosen words, but oh well.  
  
"Merlin's back. He found a Coo-Hatch." April looked very sad ar rhis news.  
  
"Just one?" I asked, already sensing the answer on her lips.  
  
"Well, no. You know Coo-Hatch. They travel in tight little bunches. There are four. They didn't manage to get back. They are pretty pissed. They say since Senna..." she lightly cleared her throat.  
  
"Died." I said slowly. Why couldn't she just say it?  
  
"Er, yes. They...can't get home." She stopped. It now made sense why she looked so sad. I was guessing her old wave of guilt had caught up with her. I didn't want to inquire further. I focused my attention elsewhere. A particularlly small dwarf was examining a small lightbulb on the wall. He jabbed it hard with a small icicle-looking sword and was sent flying back with a wave of sparks and loud billowing screech. He walked away from the showering sparks, smoking and grumbling loudly about "pain spirits".  
  
I decided to turn my attention back to April. She still stood quiet. She looked very awkward and worried. Suddenly she said, "Merlin wants to talk to you." 


	2. Chapter II

=========================== CHAPTER II =============================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The travel to the mouth was very short, considering the new sources of transportation. The rails carried to three places: the Five Hills, the enterance to the Great Diggings and a varried amount of mining locations. It was a very bumpy ride, but it was better than walking on the hard steel floor.  
  
The sky outside was dusky and menacing. It made me think that the sky was reflecting the evil of the Sennites. Usually I would condemn myself for thinking so foolishly, but this was Everworld after all. Evil did exist here. The Old World had evil in a certain prospect of morals, but this was beyond just morally sound, this was black hearted, malicious, baneful actions. Things that you had no way of descriping as truly evil. Maybe it was the restrictions of Old Earth, or maybe just a moral conscience that Everworld depleted, but you didn't really see these actions commonly in the Old World. In Everworld you coudn't go anyplace with out finding some deep- seated corruption.  
  
Merlin was standing at the enterance, an interested sparkle in his large eyes as he beamed at DaggerMouth castle. Behind him trailed three Coo- Hatch. They looked very sad, even for a Coo-Hatch. Their normally fierce, pernicious eyes seemed sunken and depressed.  
  
The Coo-Hatch were an superior race to humans in a few ways. Firstly, they could create a metal that could slice through anything like it was styrofoam. And secondly, they could adapt and even advance technology more than any other creature in Everworld. If anyone could destroy Ka Anor and the Hetwan threat, they could.  
  
Merlin smiled deeply at me and preformed his old bow and scrape to where his beard nearly touched the ground. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something, because he just stared intently. I heard a loud clicking noise come from behind me and saw April, David and Christopher scrambling from the mouth of the enterance.  
  
"Er, welcome back," I said hurriedly to Merlin. April did a small curtsy that made her look very much like a red nymph. David marched forward in his army-like way and did some kind of fumbled salute with the tip of Galahad's sword. Christopher seemed to just hang back, glancing back at the mouth slightly.  
  
"Hello, good friends in arms. I suspect it is nearly time we head back towards the great Mounatin Olympus to meet with wise Zeus and his harem," said Merlin, his eyes twinkling brilliantly in the dusky light. I had no idea that Meerlin would be traveling with us back to Olympus, although it seemed the thing to do.  
  
"I have retrieved magnificent steeds for your travels. Odin has been so kind to birth Sleipnir and give you the offspring, quite a strange happening that Loki's spawn would birth without a mate, but I think I shall avoid the design of such." Merlin suddenly looked somewhat tipsy, yet thoughtful. I exchanged a quick look with Christopher. I could tell that he too was weary to the idea of riding on the backs of the children of Loki's child, even if Loki was now on our side.  
  
Merlin seemed to see that we were thinking this. "This is quite a gift, I assure you. Sleipnir's progeny are among the fastest mounts you could hope for, though I dare say it shall be hard to top mighty Pegasus, but I think we shall have no problems." Merlin smiled deeply. Well that added to Loki's bizarre list of kin. We had the Migaard Serpent named Jormungand, Fenrir the giant wolf, Hel, who was no more than a pile of rotted flesh connected to a beautiful, lascivious woman.And now to add to the list was a horse. What next.  
  
Merlin smiled thoughtfully. He looked oddly tired and old at the moment. "King Baldwin has been so kind to postpone the wedding of him and young princess Etain," he said suddenly. I saw his eyes deepen and look long at Christopher. I was sure that he had told them to suspend the wedding for his sake. I felt something odd bubble up inside me. Was it pity?  
  
The silence went unnoticed for a few seconds. I did nothing but contemplate what would happen we all died in Everworld. April suggested that once we died in Everworld we would go right back to Old World. None of us had the passion to argue. We all wanted to believe her.  
  
David unexpectedly walked forward, his hand clutching Galahad's sword. "When do we depart?" he asked loudly, like he was talking to his drill seargent. Merlin's eyes got very dutiful and proud.  
  
"We embark for great Olympus in the following night. King Baldwin wishes to show his heartfelt gratitude to your party. He is to hold a banquet of magnificent proportions. Your company should hold gratitude for this, for the likes of such a banquet are rarely seen in the land of the dwarves..." Merlin stopped talking abrubtly. His brow was furrowed and he was staring avidly at the sky, a huge brown bird flying straight towards them. Than there was Loki. 


	3. Chapter III

============================= CHAPTER III =============================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Loki was bearing down on us fast, an odd feathery cloak fluttered behind his back and he flew fiercely through the dusky sky. I had never seen a man fly like that. He was flapping his arms awkwardly behind him like he was some toddler who had just seen Peter Pan. It was perculiar. His long blond hair whipped behind him like the lead singer of some 80's hair- band, the fake wind blowing his hair back in his close-up.  
  
Loki landed. He was not cloathed in his usual chain mail. Instead he was in something feathery and long. It was disquieting seeing a man of power in what looked like a flowing night gown covered in falcon feathers.  
  
He turned his blond so that his hair fell in a shimmering wave. He had a long, thin, broadsword strapped around his waist which seemed to glow red. For some odd reason he seemed to be more birdlike than before, mostly because instead of arms he had large wings tucked behind him.  
  
Merlin bowed deeply before the ten foot tall man. His beard glowed red in the shimmer of the sword. "What be so fine, Loki?" said Merlin loudly with a bright, sophisticated smile. "I see you carry a sword of the Vanir, one your father does not even weild. What fine sights do you share now?"  
  
Loki turned his head in a large jeer. He didn't seem to like being questioned by a wizard. Loki found a seem in the dress with his huge wings. He opened and beneath was revealed what looked like the highest of attire for a Viking. Loose gray legging and high leather boots were jacketed in shimmering gold leg cuffs. He was wearing a deep brown shirt made of who knows what covered in gold scale-mail. Atop his head he wore a leather headband with two large horns protruding in the front. The wings had disappeared.  
  
"Nothing so fine for you old man." Loki seemed to be in a vindictive mood, even though as April had told, he was nice to Merlin in Hel's domain. I assume the presents of All-Father Odin made him tone down a bit. "I carry this as a gift from Njord. He has heard of our quest and wishes to help. The same as regards Oller of Archer and Aurvandil the Bold." Loki turned his head haughtiliy at Merlin. He cast a look down at us and his lip twitched into an odd curve. A smile? If so a forced one.  
  
"Where are the others?" asked Merlin quietly, glancing at the sky. The others must fly too. Loki pulled the long red sword and examined it thoroughly. He glanced back towards Merlin, a fierce glare in his eyes.  
  
"They are coming. They bring my kinsman as their mounts. My son, Slepinir, can travel from Asgard to Midgaard in mere seconds but his sons and daughters were bred from war-steeds. They will take a considerebly longer time to travel through all of the nine realms to reach the land of mankind." He threw his head back to stare at the sky.  
  
Two small dwarf females escorting a tall person in a white gown and veil out of the mouth of the Great Diggings. Etain. Poor girl. Even I knew how big of deal this was, not loving someone you have to be close to, and not being close to someone you love. I knew how hard this must be. Me, who tried to remain indifferent and practical, although it was now becoming more difficult than ever. What the hell was I trying to prove. Courage? No. That's David's job. He was the brave one. Intelligence? Maybe, but even Hawkings is intrigued sometimes.  
  
No judgement, no fear, stay alert, show no fear! These were my rules for staying alive and sane in Everworld. Loud noises were now echoing from somewhere behind the clouds. I didn't know what the sound was but it sounded like hoof beats. Hoof beats from nowhere. No suprise.  
  
A group of six large dark brown horses dipped down from the clouds, one was much larger than the rest. They were soaring, but they had no wings. Instead they were galloping on the wind with eight magnificent legs each. Each horse carried a ride, all of which seemed to be giants. Three I recognized as Baldur, Thor, and Odin. The other three were a mystery. I assumed the large one carrying the bow of what looked like layers of dark brown feather was Oller, the archer. The other two were both definately giants.  
  
One was narrow eyed and muscular, like pro wrestlers are muscular. He was wearing bronze field-plate mail and carrying a long pick-axe-like Butterfly Axe with small gold wings on each side. He was wearing a large helmet that looked a lot like a salad bowl with spikes.  
  
The other was tall and broad-shouldered like a boxer. Not as muscular as the other, but still quite strong looking. He was dressed in clothes much like Loki's. They would be top fashion in their eras. His long brown hair was set back into an elegant tail. For some reason the fact that he only had a left hand stood out very well. All six landed in a group of loud cluttered cracks. The horses clear blue eyes glowed red when they hit the ground.  
  
Odin was the first to dismount, and all he others followed. There was a lot of groveling and kneeling, but eventually they kind of formed ranks.  
  
Merlin stood forward before all us. "May I present your warriors of Old World." He waved a hand lazily behind him. "Lord Jalil," he said, his grizzled head fell towards me, "The scientist of DaggerMouth." A bunch of murmuring from the gods. The murmuring slowly died down. "And enfin good sir Christopher, who carries a Druiln sword of Merlinshire." He sounded like a sports announcer. We both stepped forward.  
  
Goewynne suddenly stepped from the mouth of the Great Diggings. "Ah, Lady Goewynne. Might I introduce the final memeber of your party, Lady Goewynne, Queen of the Fallen Eire. She brings the power of the Driud elves in my stay." All of the gods seemed to hold a high respect for this. Is very odd how much respect they held for Merlin the Magnificent. I had never seen a mortal require so much attention from a god and have his wish be granted. "Now I must ask we all depart. I must be to Olympus. I bid you all the most sicerity in my farewells." He turned to Goewynne. "Is King Baldwin aware of our departure?"  
  
"Yes Master Merlin," said Goewynne quietly.  
  
"Than it is to the roads with us," yelled Merlin. All the gods lifted their weapons.  
  
"SKOAL! SKOAL!" the bellowed in unison, all except Loki who hung back and cringed slightly. "SKOAL! SKOAL! To the Northland we ride, Skoal!" they all yelled, almost in unison. Odin got atop his horse, which towered over the rest. He pulled the reigns and his horse turned into wisps of smoke and fell throught the ground. Many of the gods were mounting, but those who were not were either thrusting upward, their capes fluttering behind them, or in Loki's case, pulling feathery cloaks over them. Loki pulled the hood over his head and he was no longer a Nordic god, but an overly large falcon. He flew up high towards the clouds and was gone.  
  
I walked forward towards one of the beasts. This was impossible. Eight legs and the power to gallop on air. Baldur and Thor pulled the reins on their Slepinir children and suddenly they were galloping up a slope of nothingness. This was impossible. Just as impossible as Pegasus. No explination. I was about to fly, gallop, run, whatever, up into the air and to a realm that no lving human has ever been. I guess the old saying W.T.E. finally had its uses. No explanation, no need for one, no sense or purpose. Welcome to Everworld.  
  
I wrapped my arm over the top of the horse's rough leather saddle and tried pulling myself on. The horse suddenly turned translucent. It took a few seconds to sink in that I was on the ground. It took even more to realize that the horse had just became somewhat not there.  
  
The unknown man carrying the axe came over to me. Almost everyone else was in the air, except Christopher, who seemed to be talking to Etain through pursed lips, and Oller. Oller cariied his feathery bow slung across his enormous back.  
  
The man with the axe bowed deeply, his muscles swelled bizarrely. "Lord Jalil, is it?" he said in a particularlly booming voice. I nodded silently. He looked like his left pinky could squeeze my head into a fine pulp. He stood over nine feet tall and cast quite the shadow over all of us. "Well than Lord Jalil. Might I offer some advice?" I nodded again. I didn't have the heart to say no. He would probably rip of my jaw and make me say yes with it. "You should grab the reins first. His name is Tiuya. He is quite the demonic one. Aha-ha-ha ha ah!" His laugh unhinged me for some reason. Or maybe it was just the fact that he was nine feet tall and carrying and axe and laughing like a ten year old watchig Bugs Bunny. I did what he said no matter.  
  
I grabbed the bridle quickly, but backed away with out knowing. The fierce red eyes glowed sky blue and he suddenly. He turned his head to look directly at me. He certainly have Loki's stare. "Where to, my friend?" said the horse in an undertone. Okay, this made me particually nervous. I didn't like horses that much. This one talked, flew and haid eight fierce kicking legs. It bucked up and back, seemingly laughing instead of whinnying.  
  
"Er...Asgard," said the giant with the axe. "Follow Odin I presume. Be nice Tiuya or Father Odin will take you to Skirnir once again." This seemed to do the trick. The eight-legged-horse stopped suddenly. "Up ya' go now Jalil." The man with the axe lifted me onto the horse with ease. This was very unsettling.  
  
"To the Northland we all shall ride!" cried Oller. Common chant obviously. I glanced over at Christopher who was now seated on his horse, though not very well. The eight legs beneath me started to push powerfully forward. I wasn't exactly sure where to place my feet. The thing had no stomach, only eight muscular legs. I ultimately settled them onto the thigh, bent at the knee.  
  
I payed very little attention to what was happening. As soon as the ground left me I shut my eyes tight. I was very afraid we might fall out of the sky, even though I could still feel the legs pounding forcefully against...nothing.  
  
Eventually I opened my eyes. We were galloping steadily along the clouds, as if they were solid. They probably were, after all this was Everworld. The others galloped steadily around me. Christopher looked sick. His face was off color and his eyes were very wide. The giants were having the time of their lives. They all called out loudly to there horses and waved their weapons through the air. Oller pulled many bolts from his quiver and shot them randomly into the air.  
  
After a few minutes their cheer wore off. They seemed bored. It was now actually boring. Just the dull thump of the hooves and endless clouds. You would think that riding through the air on a creature with eight legs would be exciting. It was disturbing and painful. This was the road to Asgard. Only one way to explain this. W.T.E. 


	4. Chapter IV

=========================== CHAPTER IV =============================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The clouds were lowering. In front of us lay a brightly colored fiery rainbow. "Bifrost ahead!" called Oller loudly. A giant, about the size of Loki when he swells to his his full capacity. He was dressed like a normal viking: helmet, armor, and furs.  
  
Below us lay a huge iron wall, at least twenty feet thick and probably hundreds of feet tall, stretching up at least forty feet higher than us. It was like a skyscraper version of the Great Wall of China. I felt like an ant trapped inside an alcove. Their were large gaping, circular window-like holes in which we could clearly see the beatiful clouds formations. The rainbow bridge, obviously known as 'Bifrost' lay through large golden gates that cut a tiny hole into the huge wall. This was easily recognized as the wall seperating Asgard, world of gods, and Midgaard, world of mankind.  
  
All of us (the two unknown Nordic gods, Oller the Archer, Christoper, and me) all sunk low, to where the gates opened. The gates were plated in solid gold. Their was red flame lining the sides of it. Olden day electric fences. I assumed that was how the immortal reached Asgard. The fences probably had some screening process and only opened for god or immortal. That wasn't good news. The Slepinir prodegy flew directly towards the gate. I glanced behind me at Christopher. He must have been thinking the same thing. His eyes were clenched shut and his hands grasped the reins expectantly.  
  
Suddenly their was no horse beneath me. And their was no me. I was not there. I was nothing but a shock smoke. Jalil shaped mist, horse shaped mist. Both hanging before us and behind us. In mere seconds we dawned upon the gate. I closed my eyes, but a white mist still stood in front of my eyes. I could still see the murky red fire running down the gate. An odd warmth passed over me. We were through the gate, but I was staring at blackness. I opened my eyes. We were on the otherside of the gate. Behind us lay the enourmous wall of Midgaard. We were now marching along the extraordinary bridge. The giant was striding towards us, taking huge steps. Oller put up his hand, signalling us to slow.  
  
"Hail Heimdall the Watcher," called the giant with one hand.  
  
"And what do I attribute the walk across the glorious Bifrost, Tyr, Warrior of the Aesir?" asked Heimdall. He knelt down to look at the one- handed god.  
  
"We are escorting the commissions to Valhalla to meet with the Aesir about the destruction of these so-called Sennates."  
  
"Sennites," I interjected. That was stupid. Never interupt a god. Tyr looked at me with interest. He was obviously interested in who would hinder a gods discussion  
  
"Yes. Sennites," he said, turning back to Heimdall. Heimdall didn't look to happy. His enourmous face scrunched up and suddenly looked very pissed. He let out an unmistakable growl.  
  
"YOU DARE LET MORTALS ACROSS MY MAGNIFICENT BIFROST!" He billowed. The bridge seemed to sway with his each breath. "YOU SHALL BRING UPON US RAGNAROK!" He walked forward, causing all of our horses to back away. He reminded me of Loki when we first met.  
  
"Stand down Heimdall or I shall bring you from your watch!" called Tyr loudly. He was obviously not suprised that Heimdall would act this way. He drew his fierce red sword bordered with black diamonds and pointed it at Heimdall. Heimdall let out another snarl. "Calm yourself and let us pass or I shall be doing Loki's job before the coming of Ragnarok!" Heimdall quivered noticibally. I knew the story of Ragnarok. The viking Apocalypse. Loki was to bring down the rainbow bridge to keep the Naglfar from crossing into Asgard.  
  
"First Odin commands that Surt dawn the land of Midgaard and now you bring mortals onto my bridge. When Fimbulvetr comes I shall blame hi irresponsible leadership."  
  
The bridge beneath started to move like a walkway at the airport. The fire of the bridge licked the sides of Tiuya's legs. The bridge seemed to move forever. Heimdall strided ahead of us, walking along the long bridge. Before us a great golden palace was materializing. It took almost half an hour to reach the rails of gold that went across both sides of the rainbow bridge. The large palace glittered in the sunlight.  
  
"Behold," said Oller from my left side. "The great palace of Valhalla. House of the thirteen thrones of the Aesir and the five hundred forty doors of Odin." That sounded peculiar. Five hudred fifty doors and no further explination.  
  
"Are we going there?" Christopher.  
  
"Lord no! If you were to go there you be torn limb from limb." I looked of at Oller. His face was lit up like a child at Christmas. "Nothing but the brutalist of battle and finest of brew there. No place for a mortal to be!" I looked back at Christopher. He looked less sunken. He actually looked somewhat cheerful.  
  
"Well does the place we are going have some of that fine brew?" he asked childishly.  
  
"Nay," Oller said, looking very glum at his own words. "We go to the Well of Urd, court of the gods. Up and over Bifrost." Indeed up and over was the correct term. There was a gathering of clouds infront of us forming a white bridge, but through a great gap in that, Bifrost continued downward.  
  
"Tyr, One-Hand! Shall we quicken," called Oller.  
  
"Indeed I agree, Ull of the Bow." They were crazy. I didn't call David: David of the Sword of Gallahad, and Christopher didn't call me Jalil Balck-man, but it really didn't bother me that much. After all the gods were all certifiable.  
  
  
  
The well had a very foreboding feel to it, though it was very beautiful. It was huge. About the size of a stile of a Nuclear Power plant. It had thirty or so dipping buckets hanging on the large hanging above. Behind us, one root the size of a horizontal skyscraper protruded from the dirt below. A smaller root jutted out and circled around the well, forming a kind of bench. Three women stood on the giant roots. They were all attractive. One had brunet hair, one red, and one golden blond. The seemed to be wraping streams of gold around the root.  
  
Christopher stood next to me. He took a seat on the root bench and pulled me down next to him. "Remind you of somewhere!" he whispered loudly. "Let me give you a hint," he faked a sneeze loudly. I knew exactly what he was talking about. Africa and the tree that held the world together. The tree that I had threatened to destroy with Senna's blood.  
  
The gods were all huddled around the great well. There were many blank spaces around the well. Tyr had said that the others would join us shortly.  
  
In ten minutes of waiting they finally came. From the sky about twelve other gods came drifting down like feathers. Each landed slowly on the ground next to well.  
  
Tyr stepped forward and grabbed both me and Chris from our seats and placed us on the wall of the well. All of the gods took some kind of cerimonial seating on the roots. Odin sat on the tallest part, with Tyr and Baldur on each side. The others sat around him, except Loki who sat on a large stone slab in a gap exactly opposit from Odin. The three women walked over and streamed Loki in gold.  
  
Tyr stood and shook the hands of the three woman. That seemed strange to me. Why wouldn't Loki greet the women? My question was soon answered.  
  
"Because I am not alowwed to touch their skin, for it is intertwined with the roots of Yggdrasil and the lake of Verdandi, who is named after this fair mother here," he waved his hand towards the woman with blonde hair. This is not fair. He could read minds. Christopher didn't look too suprised. Odin stood and walked along the well. He looked like a warden evaluating prisoners.  
  
"My fair gods and goddesses, welcome back to the court of the Norns. Welcome to the Well of Urd." He waved another hand towards the woman with brunette hair. "We are all honered to give the welcome of the Old Worlders, Christopher, and Jalil, the Philosopher of Everworld." He paused. He seemed like a lawyer. Introducing our crime than sinking in. "We our honered to have them on our side, for they know the secret to the defeat of Ka Anor!" he said loudly. Everyone stood and cheered. Some drew weapons from their sides, and a woman with a long twirl of golden hair shot two streams of fire into the air. "Now if all would be so gentle, I wish to introduce you to the Old World guests." This didn't sound like a wise head god that was supposedly Odin. It sounded like the head of a frat party.  
  
"Let me start with those you know. First we have Baldur, Thor, Tyr, Ull, and Aurvandil." I recognized the other in our party as who he said was Aurvandil, but for some reason he had called Oller, Ull? "Now onto the other." He pointed at the woman with twirly gold hair. "We have Freya, of Fertile and Warbound. Her brother Frey, of the fertile. Idun, of the Apples of the Immortals. Njord, my son of the wind and sea, and his wife Skadi, of the villan giant Thiazi. Aegir, god of the sea. His wife Ran, of the Drowned. Gefjon, the fairest maiden of the virgins." This got a couple chuckles. Must be like calling the head-cheerleader a virgin. "My fair wife Frigg, the All-Mother and our maid Fulla of the Gimnir. Bragi, of Poetry, and Bil of the Moon." He finished. Each person had taken a bow as their names were called.  
  
Suddenly his smile vanished and a manic look dawned in his eyes. "And now to buisness," he called loudly. Tyr stepped forward and pulled me and Christopher off the well. We stood against the cold stone of the well's wall. "We are to supply these men with an army. Though many of our fellows be on journeys of their own, I ask that we fight to destroy the caveat of Ka Anor. Loki knows the dangers, as do I and Thor, but none else seem to understand the threat that he presents to us. So I plea with you all, release your pride and fight beside these people to free our lands and others from this terror." He sounded as if he had given this speech before, but none had listened.  
  
The one named Aegir, who seemed to be a pale blue, stood. "The Vanir shall provide the warriors needed. We are strong and willing, it will not be hard.to defeat Ka Anor when the Vanir is in rank."  
  
"Ha!" cried Idun, who was a tall ravishing brunette who wore a great red cloak. "The Vanir are no more than savage beasts who pride in death and destruction. Wise All-Father, place your trust in the Aesir. We are wise. We will find a strategy to defeat the monster." Loki was standing next to her, his sword drawn.  
  
"HUSH WOMAN! Lest fore your blood reaches mine hand!" He placed the sword on her neck.  
  
"Loki, steady your sword, wilst you be thrust to the son, Jormungand. Might I say since your daughter left her harem that your son feast for meat as yours." Loki dropped the sword to his side, but swelled to twenty feet tall. He bent down to have his face meet the normal sized Idun.  
  
"If one more word from your mouth is of bad causes to the Vanir, I will take your head and place it on Simul and feed it to the moon!" She did not quiver at this saying, instead she laughed.  
  
"What will you do without my apples you insolent fool. Might I say you will be quite gray?" She laughed harder. Odin placed his hand to silence this nonsence.  
  
"Only one can decide the fate of the Vanir and the Aesir. Lady Gefjon, might I seek your admonition?"  
  
Gefjon walked forward. She really was quite beautiful. She had very long blonde and a chiseled face. " I think we must fight with our minds and bodies. I say we must call upon those who war and those who think. I suggest we fight with both the Vanir and the Aesir." Was it just me, or did she just say the same thing over and over?  
  
"Lady Gefjon is right!" called Freya, who was wearing a feathered dress and a really fancy silver, gold and diamond necklace. "We should choose the wisest and the strongest. I will go, and I hope the same for my brother." Her voice was dramatic and strong.  
  
"Sister!" called Frey. "You know I cannot stand near Surt when he comes from Mispulheim. He would destroy me."  
  
"That has been shown," called Odin. "But Surt is under our control as long as Ka Anor is here, for he to is in danger of attack from the alien hazard. Surt would dare not set a hand on any of the gods when the evil looms on all lands."  
  
"What is to stop him once Ka Anor is dead?" Tyr. "He could very well start Ragnarok when Ka Anor is dead. Why should we let Surt touch the soils of Midgaard. He will desecrate it with his very boots."  
  
"You may make a good point, Tyr of the Battle." Odin again. "But that is why I ask you take charge. For Urd says that is it you who shall give the head of Surt to Fenrir, as you gave your hand." I think Odin meant to make Loki mad. Loki swelled once again.  
  
"I will go!" screamed Loki. "My son will not be eating none the foul head of Surt, for my son is now one with the souls. Let this be noted that we should yeild his word! Fenrir has been slayed by the threat of the witches minions!" This was incredible. Loki hated Odin, acording to our first meeting. He now sided with his every word.  
  
"I agree that you should go." Odin moved forward, his thin goatee like beard seemed to be growing. "As do I think that Freya should go. Now it is my time to choose the destinies. To accompany the fighters of Old World shall be the following: Loki, the Trickster, Tyr, the One-Handed, Freya of the War, Thor of Thunder, Frey of the Fertile, Aegir, the Blue, and Skadi of Thiazi. Thus is my word. My word is infallible in is wisdom. Heed my word that this is of the utmost momentousness." He raised his hand to stop all contestation. "Now that this is done, I beg you all that we need a rest. Let us go to Valhalla, for some ale and combat." He chuckled loudly and a few of them rose into the air and through the clouds. Odin, Tyr, Freya, Gefjon, Fulla, and Frigg stayed behind. Tyr stepped forward.  
  
"You shall be accompanying Ladies Frigg, Freya, Gefjon, and Fulla to Fensalir. There you shall be bathed and pampered. Tommorow we shall meet for our plans." Tyr floated up through the clouds.  
  
Odin walked next to us. "Let us all pray that you are as wise as Merlin says. We shall embark on this battle and I see from Urd than many will not come back. The outcome is left to be weaved as from Fulla's hands. Be wise Jalil. Whilst my spear find your heart." Odin floated. away. Frigg walked next to us. She looked happy, for some reason. Fulla curtsied quickly. She was obviously Frigg's tail servant.  
  
"Come young ones. We embark upon Fensalir," sh said quietly. We all started to walk towards the rinbow bridge Bifrost. Christopher trotted up next to me, a huge grin across his face.  
  
"What are you so happy about?" I asked. Why was he happy when we had everything to worry about. He turned his excruciatingly happy face towards me.  
  
"Fensalir," he called happily.  
  
"And what of it?" I asked hastily.  
  
"I read about awhile ago when we met up with Loki at Camelot."  
  
"You studied for our sake? I would have thought you were to busy getting sloshed with Sir Percival to think."  
  
"Well that was here, not there. But trust me, even you will enjoy it there."  
  
"Why?" I was guessing that's were they made ale or something.  
  
"Fensalir. It's where all the girl virgins go when they kick the bucket. The odds are in our favor, man."  
  
"Christopher," I said quietly. "You do know that usually that consists of girls under the age of fourteen right? I am pretty sure not too many women above that age stayed virgins that long in Norse tradition." His face fell. We continued are stride toward Frigg's house, Fensalir. 


	5. Chapter V

=========================== CHAPTER V ==============================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I was awake. I was me. Wait, no not right. I was whole? My bed was the same, nicely made. My room was quiet, dark. I could see my things sitting immobile on my desk. I didn't feel that sick emptyness. I felt like me, though still sick. I checked my chest. Whole. My face, not there. I ran to the mirror. I was translucent. Clearish brown. My arms were whole, but my feet weren't. I was walking on slippers, but translucent legs. I was wearing the last thing I had when I had disappeared. I was here. Why? I was in the Real World.  
  
No Senna to push me back. Did I choose to be back here? Did I want to be back in the Real World so the divide said, "Hey, lets get Jalil his body half-back." I was here for some reason. Maybe I was back for good. Maybe all of us were. Time to come back to the Real World? Our interactive tour of Everworld was over. Now it was time to com back to life.  
  
I didn't want to be here! I wanted, needed to be there. I didn't want the O.C. I wanted the war. I wanted to lead Odin against the Sennites. I couldn't be here. Messed up dreams. But I could feel the desk. I could feel the smooth cold wood and the waxy finish. I could feel the pages of the Advanced Calculus I open on my desk.  
  
Why was I here. Why? Why? Why? Why! Why here now. Why am I standing over my desk with my real body instead of being some ghostly being. The OC was kicking in. I could feel the need to wash my face and lock my doors. I wanted to change clothes. Not good. Time to go back.  
  
Come on Everworld Jalil, wake up. No waking up. I had just rode across nothingness on an eight-legged horse whom was the son of the Nordic god of trickery and destruction and had a council of the gods to decifer the fate of Everworld. A long sleep was very welcome. I still wanted back. What was so good about the real world? Miyuki maybe? My sisters? My family?  
  
No. It made sound cold, but that was not my source of being. I could do so much better. Maybe some god had thought it better I go back. Or maybe they thought it would do me good to be old double-Jalil, so I could study. I knew little about Nordic gods. I only knew the basics. Creation, Tree of Yggdrasil, Valhalla, Ragnarok. Nothing special. This was my place to learn, might as well go and study.  
  
I opened my window slowly, so not to wake my parents. I lowered my body to eave of the window and tried lowering myself down.  
  
"What am I doing?" I asked aloud. The OC was pulsing now. I needed cleanliness, I needed order. I didn't need to be hanging down a window eave and be running off to the library. Shut up, Jalil! I didn't need to be Asgard conferencing with tempermental gods and goddesses about a coming battle.  
  
I dropped from the eave, maybe a bit too hard. I hit the ground in a crumpled mess. I felt blood running down my cheek from where a rock had dug into it. I felt dirt on my hands and slippers. I was in my pajamas for god's sake. I ran to the door and jiggled the handle. Locked. No, not now. I banged on the door, hoping it would open. Where was the key!  
  
The light in my parents room flicked on. No! Not good. Dirt! Mud. Grass stains. All very real. I needed to get out of there. NOW! Move Jalil. Don't just stand there, waiting for the cops. Stop banging on the door, your not getting in.  
  
Sirens. Sirens in the distance. They called the cops. MOVE! RUN AWAY! I am not whole, I am empty. I don't want to be here. Sirens, lights. Run for the bushes. I dove head first into the bushes.  
  
"Police, stop!" called a deep voice above the now quieted sirens. Lights ran across the bushes. I stood up. Why? Get back down!  
  
"Freeze!" His gun was on me. The light was on me. Attempted breaking and entering. Trespassing. Whatever. They were going to arrest the amazing disappearing man.  
  
A tug pulled from my chest. No more body. Clothes lay rumpled on the dirt. OC. No body for OC. Police walked, confused, just like me. I was an aparition again.  
  
"What the hell! He's gone!" called the officer.  
  
"Jalil!" My mothers voice. She was running from the door. "Jalil! Jalil!"  
  
The officer walked to her. My dad had just followed her. "Calm down ma'am."  
  
"What's going on?" asked another officer.  
  
"That was my Jalil." She was crying. "Oh baby! Jalil!" She seemed hysteric. The officer who had pointed a gun at me was now picking up my clothes, looking at the puzzeled. My mom was still crying. He picked up my clothes with his baton and drapped them on his left arm.  
  
"Ma'am, we found these," called the officer, holding up my clothes. My mom cried harder. Than I was back in Everworld. 


	6. Chapter VI

=========================== CHAPTER VI =============================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
I woke up on the fluffy bed. Around me the golden wall were adorned with pictures and scultures of the utmost elegance. It was like waking in the suites of a major hotel-casino in the rooms made specifically for a celebrity high-roller.  
  
I had just been nearly whole in the Real World. Now I was back in the beautiful surroundings of Fensalir. I let out a groan. My parents had seen me. The cops had seen me. I had just created a wide confusion in Real World. Not to worry. I was in Everworld. Things were worse here.  
  
I sat up, pushing the heavy wool blankets off my body. Time to diverge a plan. Go with the phalanx of the Romans? Old Nordic charge from the ships? Modern sneak and attack. That's what the Sennites used. Time to choose. Modern armed forces was standard and ultimately pretty good, but it did have its flaws. When matched by quanity, the quality of it won, but with casulties. Casulties. Exactly what we didn't need. Maybe a rank-form. Very Colonial-European. Not exactly the best when facing people with hand grenades and A.R.R. Assault Rifles. Break off the ranks. Take groups of lines and charge in different areas. Mix all three. Phalanx, sneak attack, rank-forming. Guard your most valuble and most vurnerable, archers, sharpshooters, snipers, Send a group of each guarded heavily with front liners. Make the groups small. Small bands of fighters. Small bands of key players mixed with what we needed most. Maybe trenches would help. Trenches, lined with more than barbed wire and dark-traps. We needed things lined with magic. Or at least the closest thing to it. The streams of fire Freya had shot into the air. Line the ground with that. Use any guns the dwarves could cook up with the Coo-Hatch steel. If we could get ahold of one of those ammo lockers we would be better off. I didn't know how to make bullets correctly. Otherwise we would be using something like the Everworld equivalent of the Brown Bess.  
  
This would be our ideal plan. Use small backnds of warriors, and maybe trenches to fight the Sennites. Four of Frigg's handmaids came through the wooden door, embroidered with drawings and designs.  
  
They were all basically the same thing. Long straw-yellow hair in elegant braids. Each wearing a frilly brown gown. They looked like what Christoper called "Heidi's". I assume meaning the sterotype of German or Swedish women. They each carried a different tray, carrying a different object. One an assortment of hair care objects, another a large golden bowl filled with shimmering blue water, another a large pitcher of amber fluid and many tall silver chalices, each carved with a small hammer, a half closed eye, and an ash tree covered in runes.  
  
"Lord Jalil," the one in the lead said lazily with half closed eyes. "We come to treat you." Treat me? This sounded a bit off. The Greeks meaning of 'treat' was to send a few women into your room to use their mouths in the most improper ways. I had to insist not to be 'treated' at least twelve times in Olympus. I hoped the Norse didn't hold sexual intentions as their main source of entertainment.  
  
One of the 'Heidi's' pulled me up and pulled my tattered dwarf shirt from my back. My hopes were crushed. I tried saying no and pushing them back, but they merely laughed and continued. Eventually I was naked. Stanidng there before four tall attractive blondes. This wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if I didn't have more pressing issues on my mind. The lead one gave me an appraising look. She clapped loudly and suddenly I was being clothed. Long leggings were being scraped over my raw legs. A long black shirt was pulled over my head. A leather vest laced with animal skins was pulled over that. Hardened leather pantaloons were pulled over my leggings. Chain-mail was added over my vest and knee guards over my pantaloons. This happened very swiftly, maybe two minutes at most.  
  
The one in the lead placed a large cape around my back and a gave me a brisk kiss on the cheek. "Odin the Father of Ygg is ready to see you Lord Jalil," she said quietly. Two grabbed an arm of him, while the other two held my cape up off the ground.  
  
I was led out to the magnificent hall of Fensalir. It was a wide and tall room, like a mix between a cathedral and a Plaza Hotel. In the very center stood a staircase leading into clouds. Around stood balconies, with doors leading into different suites. Four tall pillars stood before me, on top was a platform. Frigg sat there, weaving tools in hand. Turning what seemed like wool into what looked like clouds which drifted through an opening in the ceiling.  
  
We walked down the staircase, onto solid cloud. It turned out that the whole of Fensalir sat on pillars of cloud. The entire of Asgard was made of assortments of structures supported on clouds. Behind us the huge wall loomed in the distance. A few chalk-white branches of Yggdrasil the size of a sequoia hung in the distance. Every few seconds a horse cantered along the branches, munching on leaves. Or a squirrel the size of a Doberman Pincher would run up and down and prance across the clouds with a giant mellon in its grasp.  
  
I imagined that these clouds were actually resting on mountains, or were mountains themselves. Or maybe that they were just covering up some unknown material that had to be cloaked. I probably should have just excepted the fact that I was walking on a cloud. When we reached a large misty well we were joined by Freya, Fulla and Skadi. Freya looked the same as before. A large white feather coat and a beautiful necklace. Why was it that these things that stood out most?  
  
Skadi looked different than before. She was just as tall. Six feet at least. The day before she wore a long blue gown with chain-mail. Today she looked more like Athena. She wore a helm with two horns protruding from the front. She still wore a long gown, but it was barely visible beneath her many layers of fur, leather, and scale-mail.  
  
Fulla was dressed different, but she was just as beautiful. Long golden hair, and what looked like a perfect body. She was probably the Norse installment of Aphrodite.  
  
We were soon greeted by Tyr and Christopher. Christopher was wearing something alot like me, except no long cape around his back. I wondered if they excepted him more than me. They must have notced I was black. Christopher, on the other hand, would have fit in very well. He was tall and had blonde hair. He almost looked normal in the battle attire.  
  
Christopher came over to me and started talking in a low voice. "I got gypped, man. They came in to my room, claiming to do whatever I pleasure, but I didn't have the need to what pleasures me most. Everworld has cheated me!" I looked him up and down. I knew he was this materialistic. I was going to say something, but my words were interupted by a loud clatter of a chariot.  
  
A large crystal chariot drawn by what looked like three cats approached. They were all black except for the one in the front who was white.  
  
"Skoal, Lady Freya of the Battle," said the white cat. The other two didn't say anything. This mad me angry. Not that they remainded quiet, but that one talked. The doors swung open automatically. One of the cats clawed the ground and through back his head with a loud whinny.  
  
"Did that horse just neigh?" said Christopher as he climbed into the chariot.  
  
  
  
We arrived in the courtyard of an enourmous palace made of grantie anf gold. A man dressed in lush furs waited for us and opened the doors of the chariot.  
  
"I present the palce of Valaskjalf! Home of Glourios Odin's high seat Hlidskialf! Chamber of the Earth and the Pool of All Sight!" His voice was rich like the announcers for royalty. In an instance we were no longer in the same place. Mist and cloud swirled around my body and over my eyes. Next thing I knew I stood in the great room of Odin's castle.  
  
In front of us was a huge throne, the size of the one Lincoln sat on in the Lincoln Memorial. Odin sat there. He was dressed in furs and field- plate, wearing a brimmed leather cap draped over his eyes so you could not see one empty socket. At one side he carried a long silver spear and the other a wooden longbow. He looked very wise and knowing, but also reminded me of the gangsters characters in the book "A Clockwork Orange."  
  
On either side of him sat a wolf. Both blood red, each with and extra eyesocket on their forhead. On Odin's shoulders perched two ravens wit their wings stretched wide.  
  
"Welcome, my friends and family, to Hildskiaf. I beg all who are not gods to not look behind you. One look at the Pool of All Sight and you too will end up with my disabillities. Now straight to our buisness. I do not mean to be too brief, but I have no choice. Lord Jalil, I understand that you have a plan. I wish to hear it." I took a deep breath. If he didn't like it I was dead. Literally.  
  
"Okay," I said meekly. Present your case. Defend your case. Don't let the judge or lawyer intimidate you. "What I plan to do is gather together our forces and fight the enemies strategy by using ther same strategy, but defeating them in their flaws." I glanced at Christopher. He looked calm. Bored even. I suppose he just expected me to come up with some brilliant plan to save our asses.  
  
"And what is their stategy?" said Odin loudly.  
  
"Well it's a modern thing. Modern for us I mean. They usually break up into groups and kill whatever moves. But they do it stealthily. They are usually very quick."  
  
"And their flaws?" Freya, who was at my side, said this. I turned to her.  
  
"Well...er...you see they like to think they are safe with their quality. If we set up enough boundary with our forces. Than we push men in at certain strategic locations. Er...checkpoints. We set our best men in the center of a guard. These men would be our snipers -"  
  
"Sniper?" Tyr interupted. He looked very intigued.  
  
Christopher interjected. "Yeah, sharp shooters. Really good bowmen." I could have explained that.  
  
"Grungir could serve for these 'snipers'," said Odin, holding up his bow. He was stroking his beard with the other hand.  
  
"Yes, well we don't only need bows. We can't fight their machine guns with bows," I said. Odin held up his hand.  
  
"And why not?" he boomed. He must have thought I was offending his archers.  
  
"Well because." Oh great explination, Jalil. "Because their guns can easily cut holes through in your men and your ships. We need to make guns. I was thinking we could use trenches."  
  
"Where men put their waste. HA!" Skadi was speaking now. "I do not let my body lie in filth. Th daughter of Thiazi does not sit in the waste furrows!" They were almots as arrogant as the Greeks.  
  
"No. We build them ourselves. Or we could get the dwarves to build them. We make trenches and then guard them with sharp fencing..."  
  
"Ah, like the stronghold pits in Camelot!" called Tyr.  
  
"Er, yeah, kind of. Except we build them in the battlefields. They are like traps almost. We stay low in the trenches so they can't see us, then we fire arrows or bullets or bolts or whatever at them. If they get too close we charge."  
  
"But what of our assets sitting low with their guards. Shall they be in the channel also?" asked Odin. I felt out numbered. Christopher now looked worried. No longer so smug. It's what he deserves, leaving it all to me.  
  
"Well, no." I didn't know what to say. I hadn't looked to far into this. Maybe camoflauge.  
  
"Fox holes," whispered Christopher. Yes! We would put all our most valuble people in trenches with gattling guns or something. The others would sit in the trenches ready to charge. Trenches were harder to esimate. Small or large, there or not. No untrained man could hit one with a grenade or even kill a man unless he stood up.  
  
Odin was looking at me with a look of impatience. "Well? What do we do with them?" he yelled.  
  
"Fox holes," I said. He looked utterly confused. "Um...small holes...like the trenches, but smaller and round. Like small craters. They're harder to see." Odin looked pleased. They were buying this. We have to find the Sennites first and estimate their movement. Then we have to make the traps, hopefully with magic.  
  
"I like that idea. The idea of using magic," said Odin. Oh crap! I yelled in my head. Odin could read minds. He had just heard the whole buying this. Oh well new age slang. He won't understand.  
  
Stop thinking Jalil! Don't think. Okay, answer the man...god!  
  
"Yes well you know it right?" Christopher said. About time he took part in the conversation.  
  
"Freya, of the Battle knows the art of seidr better than I, or any other in my kingdom. All arrangements of the sacred arts will be accessed through her. If this concludes your plans, they I must say we are well met by you. Such plans hav never been set in my lands. Do what you must. Gather whom you must. I see that you shall soon be with the dwarves again. I beg you take some delegates of my kingdom. They will help in any way possible." I couldn't disagree. I nodded my head. "Skadi, daughter of Thiazi, and Tyr of One Hand. Fetch me two who will help you on your journeys. Each from his own. I wish you accompany me to Valhalla. We shall have a feast in the honor of our new comrades. Come!"  
  
The swirling mist enveloped me again. Why couldn't we have just walked. Probably something about the Pool of Sight. That was wear Odin looked over the world. I guess we were moving, but I couldn't feel it. In fact I was sure we were moving. My feet no longer touched floor. 


	7. Chapter VII

============================= CHAPTER VII =============================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The mist went away. I was standing in a magnificent hall of a solid gold building. Around me hundreds of men sat and drank from tankards along tables. Tall blondes with braids and wings stood around the many iron tables with large pitchers. A few more stood up on a beam about twenty feet above the tables, their eyes closed as if meditating.  
  
Me and Christopher stood alone. The others sat in high chairs on a raised platform, except Tyr who was a few feet ahead of us.  
  
"Follow me those of our battle." His eyes became thoughtful. "I think it might find better if you look not anyone in the eye. They might think you are offering a battle." Just after he said that two men with ridiculously long beards jumped up on the table, one grasping a spear while the other grasped a small ax. They lunged and started to swing and twirl, stabbing and swing. One's arm was sliced in half, the other had a spare go through his shoulder. The battle lasted a few minutes before the one with the spear keeled to the side, clutching his stomach, screaming softly, a black blob bubbling with blood protruded through his hands. The winner danced up and down, cheering loudly. He accidentally knocked over the mead a man was drinking. The man stood and slung his sword through the mans chest. A few people chuckled and cheered. Many others just continued to talk and drink. This didn't seem like bliss to me.  
  
Tyr led us to a small table that was free of any others. "This is the table of the Flreinys. They are the newcomers of the warriors of Valhalla. It has been days since a Flreiny has graced us. The Valkyries have been laboring to find a warrior who shall grace our presence. We shall sit here." Tyr sat down on the long stone bench. Huge cushions sat their and small backings were set up to rest on.  
  
"Hlathguth! Aye, Hlathguth!" called Tyr. A tall Valkyrie wearing armor and a bright ruby necklace fluttered, yes fluttered, over to our table. "Mead if you might be soest kind Hlathguth." The Valkyrie bowed deeply and pulled a pitcher from mid-air, pouring mead into tankards that only appeared after the liquid had been poured. Tyr took a deep swig of his with his left hand, naturally considering he had no right.  
  
I glanced over at Christopher he had been very quiet this whole trip. He was now chugging the mead like he hadn't had a drink in months. "Are you sure this is the best time to be doing that?" I asked. It sounded like a more David thing to say. I usually had no objection to people drinking, but since it was just him and me and about a million drunken Vikings, I rather he be normal.  
  
"Are you kidding? We just rode across the clouds, witnessed what easily could have been a god-slaughter-fun-hour, and now I am about to go out and face the freaking Nazi's pricks and your saying this isn't a good time to get inebriated? Your crazy, besides it's bang-up brew."  
  
"Did you just say inebriated?" I said vapidly. He gave me a cheesy sardonic smile and chugged the mead. I picked my own tankard. The stuff looked normal enough. Knowing Vikings, it was probably 90% alcohol. It didn't smell too bad. In fact it smelled good. I took a small sip that turned into a deep glug. It was as Christopher called it, "bang up brew." It was delicious. I kept drinking, and the glass kept refilling itself. It tasted very sweet, completely unlike the stuff we had received when we first met the Vikings. That was bitter and like sour metal in a drink. But this was sweet, like Pepsi, or some other soft drink.  
  
"Man, if I to choose what to take on our...err hem...journeys, I would take this stuff." Chris took another deep glug, a listened to the crescendo slosh in his tankard as it filled slowly.  
  
"Yeah, maybe. But I don't think that being drunk of our asses during the final bout. I think we should just go with good old water."  
  
"Nay," said Tyr loudly, somewhat red in the face. "Drunken is what you shall not be, if you wish not to be. This is blessed mead. Made by the Valkyries themselves and blessed by the very same. If one wishes to be given to drink, than one shall be."  
  
"Good!" yelled Christopher. He took another drink. Made sense. Especially to the fact that I wasn't intoxicated after about twenty drinks. I had been expecting the buzz, but condemning it. Made sense that it didn't come.  
  
I guess eventually I gave into the wanting of drunkenness, but it wasn't the kind that you get from Vodka and Juice. I was normal, but very happy and copious. It was fun watching the Valkyries flutter from table to table filling tankards. I didn't know why they would go from table to table if there was no need to do any refilling. It was even fun to watch the men pounce on the tables and slash at eachother. Their bodies would dissapear  
  
After about an the Valkyries flew over the tables. Humongous silver platters appeared on the table. The Valkyries all joined eachother on the top beam. In seconds flat food blossomed from the plate into large piles. Plates and, odd misshapen forks, and knives now sat next to the plates. It was hard to make sense of it. The mead had gone to my head. I was now a bubbling slob. Waving my hand in front of my face gave my great pleasure. as did eating way more than my share of food. I barely had to reach. It just seemed to appear on my plate.  
  
  
  
After the food disappeared I was more aware. I was able to think again. But I didn't want to. I wanted to leave. I was getting bored with this place. Fighting. That was what the fighting was for. Tyr had already challenged three people, and skewered them all. It must be hard buisness sitting in the same room day in day out must penned up frustration. Killing someone or being killed must get your mind off things.  
  
I was getting frustrated. The sickly-sweet smell of mead mixed with the pungent musty smell of sweat was irritating my nose. I wanted to scream. Christopher looked the same. He looked angry and was now glugging mead like it was the only thing sustaining his life. It made me sick to think of. I was getting more and more annoyed.  
  
"Time to go young ones!" called Tyr. Just in time. Christopher put down his tankard with a very angered look. No mist, just walking. Odin no longer sat at the tall chair, nor did Freya, Thor, Frey or Aegir. Tyr walked us through the giant golden doors and back out into the clouds of Asgard.  
  
It made me think of that old fantasy show on TV-Land where the angel would bring the people up into the clouds to meet Saint Peter. But this was different. Beautifully crafted sculptures and buildings sat all around.  
  
"Man, I lost my buzz. Now I am sad." called Christopher into my ear. He looked royally pissed. The cloudy mist around seemed to only hang in certain places. Very odd at first. Every now and than Christopher would trot ahead to gawk at a passing by woman. He would also stare at me and mouth a few thing, like he was trying to say something, but couldn't.  
  
We continued down to Bifrost, the rainbow bridge. A silver castle loomed in the distance. My mind started to wander to who knows where, for the next time I looked straight we were standing in front of a large stone castle (a lot like Loki's) surrounded by soldiers like those of Valhalla. Along the wall farthest right stood the carriage with the cats, the two in back pawed the ground nervously.  
  
"Wait, weren't we just in the clouds?" yelled Christopher. I guess not only my mind had been wandering. "I think the mead is kicking in again."  
  
"Nay, young sir of the battle," called Tyr from far in front of us. "We stand before the Castle of Od, in the land of Folkvang. Seidr has brought you here." Christopher pushed towards me.  
  
"Is it just me or do they keep talking about cider, If so, what kind! Spiced Cider, Apple Cider, Hard Cider. Hell, I'll take it all if someone would just explain what the hell is going on," yelled Christopher.  
  
"We are to meet Freya to arrange the plans. We have located the enemy and have gathered forces. It is time to take flight to the dwarves, our strongest ally, and make those er...firearms." Merlin had been talking to these guys. "It is time that we set up the battlefield where we shall meet the warriors." He gave us a huge smile. The kind of smile you only get on your face when your about to shoot your first glass bottle with a .22 Magnum.  
  
"Wait, wait...wait. We are going to our third meeting in twenty-four hours. Man this isn't what I signed up for!" yelled Chris. I agreed. This was getting tiresome. We were the hub of there plans. You know, for people who conquered so many lands and sent so many men to their knees, you would think they could kill a few Sennites by themselves. But of course, futuristic weapons were our expertise. But still, David was into this whole Command and Conquer thing, not me.  
  
Tyr said nothing. He just laughed. Laughed harder than I have ever heard anyone laugh. He laughed like he had just heard the funniest joke ever heard. "Twenty four hours? A-ha-ha-ha-ha ha ha-ha-hah! You were not in Valhalla for merely a few hours. Time in Valhalla passes in day!" My stomach fell. That was not good. Who knows what might have happened to the others. They might be dead by now. We should have been with the dwarves by now.  
  
I tried to speak, but it came out as a meek scream. This was not good. 


	8. Chapter VIII

============================= CHAPTER VIII ============================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
So here we were. No way to tell when this was. David and April could be dead by now. Unlikely. Well, likely. In fact VERY likely! No contact, no way of knowing. They were in Olympus. As dar as I can tell millions of miles away, if distance even existed in Everworld.  
  
What was I doing here? I wasn't David. He was the one who should be plotting war on the Sennites. He was of military background. Who was I? Just another black kid from the North Shore. I knew as much about fighting as the girl who sits in the back of the class listening to N*Sync or whatever. In fact, by many means I would be considered a wuss. Not that I was, it was just that I couldn't kick anyones ass on command...I know that...the others know that. Christopher knows that. The Nordic gods don't.  
  
We were screwed!  
  
We were now being marched up to a castle which held Freya, the Norse goddess of Battle, Fertility, and Magic. I wondered if she saw through my tough act. Loki definitely did. I think they all saw how intelligent I was. Saw how much I knew about modern technology. I am screwed! Technology, sure. War, no! This was David's place of interest.  
  
Christopher saw the worry in my eyes obviously, because he gave me a peckish pat on the back. I knew he couldn't reassure others. He was no good at sentiment.  
  
"Hey, think of this way. If we die, you have an excuse!" He was thinking along the exact same plane as me. He was right. I have an excuse. I know nothing about war. I missed April. She was always better at sympathy.  
  
Walking, walking, walking. Large marble floors, gold strung tapestries, large cathedral windows. Walking. My mind wasn't focused. I barely noticed that I was walking amid hundreds of soldiers. Didn't notice that Oller the Archer was flying in front of us. Only walking. It was like walking in between classes. You never really noticed what was going on.  
  
Concentrating on friends, next classes, homework. Not noticing people talking, laughing, fighting. Not noticing the world of action swirling around you. Not noticing the two beaten, tired, tattered Real-Worlders standing at Freya's throne, looking like they had just went through hell. Not noticing April, spattered with blood, her own or otherwise. Not noticing David, Galahad's sword having a small chip in.  
  
Christopher went running. I just stood there. What should I say. Happiness was what I was supposed to feel, but this was confusion. I didn't know why they were here, but should it matter. Should it matter that the very fact that there presence was a great thing, but it made me angry. Why were they here?  
  
Christopher was walking up to David, mumbling something quietly. Must have been good to see you, otherwise he would have been loud an obnoxious. I did nothing. I didn't move. I did only what I though was necessary to shield my anger...nothing.  
  
"Why are you here," I blurted.  
  
"Well Jalil, no reason to sound so excited," called April with a small grin. I walked over. Walked over under the staring colors of Freya's eyes. I stopped. David was squatting on the floor, his knees bent so that he was almost sitting. His hand were flat on the ground. He looked tired. "We just got back from Athena," said David quietly.  
  
"Oh, do tell," said Christopher in a mocking voice.  
  
"She is pissed! The whole Greek entourage id pissed! They think we sold 'em out. Zeus was convinced that we turn-coated! Thinks we joined with Ka Anor. Thinks we're playing him for a fool," David yelled.  
  
"Oh, well," said Christopher, still mockingly. "Gain an ally, lose an ally." He cocked his head playfully. Smug bastard!  
  
"That's not how it works!" I yelled. "If we lose one ally we lose ability. We lose ability, we lose lives. We need to get them back!" I yelled. This was very irritating. Why didn't he understand.  
  
"Fat chance there," said April loudly. "The Hetwan got there before we could convince them that we were their allies. I think we should steer clear of there untill Ares gets back, Deimos is dead." A few eyes widened, even Freya's constantly changing rainbow eyes. That make at least three gods down. Ganymede, the Daghda, and now Deimos, son of Ares. This isn't good.  
  
"Mount Olympus is in chaos. Athena kind of believed us, but I wouldn't put it past her to want to stick her spear straight through my masculine area." April gave a cute little snigger. David pulled off his heavy boots. "The only good thing about this was that we met the dwarves. Seems you gave that Berglem a pretty good description of a gun Jalil. They found your diagram in your room. They made this. Here..." Out of the odd backpack slung over his shoulder he pulled an odd metal object. It looked like a thick triangle with a circle and a point. He handed it over to me. I examined it. It was a gun alright. It was a pretty crude gun. Like if the colonials had found the schematics for a Baretta Eagle.  
  
I gripped it tighter. This was our tool, our new futuristic tool that we were using to fight the Sennites. To stop Ka Anor. Our time now clashed with theirs and this is the product. A callow firearm. I wondered if it worked at all. Maybe, but probably not that well, I had failed to mention refined ribs on the inside of the gun.  
  
"It's just a prototype," said David with a small grin. "I made a few improvements on your sketches." He pulled a small notepad from his pack. On it was a very well drawn pistol. It had all the needed imporvements. It looked alot like an actual gun. He had two different diagrams. On of a revolver and one of a pistol with a clip. I didn't know what kind of gun, but it looked good.  
  
"We have to go back to order mass production and so you can help them with there power." David looked agitated all of a sudden.  
  
"Jesus, just tell them to go mine some Uranium and heat up their water with nuclear power," called Christopher.  
  
"That might just work," April said. I was impressed he knew how nuclear power worked.  
  
"NO!" I yelled. "Just what we need to give the Sennites, another viable tool for mass destruction." I meant it. We were already going into a war untrained. "We will need to learn how to shoot." Everyone stared at David, even Freya, who sat silently on her throne.  
  
He let out a loud sigh. "Fine. But am not promising miracles."  
  
Freya stood. "Than to war brave souls. You opponent is armed and dangerous, but the war is to well to waive. We shall fight." That was quite an unintroduced statement. Especially since she was not even really part of the conversation. Maybe she just wanted some attention. I felt like I was in a dream. Some odd war movie. I almost felt the background music pulsing in the air. "Armed and dangerous" was a bit of an understatement for the Sennites. 


	9. Chapter IX

=========================== CHAPTER IX =============================  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"What I don't understand is why Zeus didn't just lightning bolt your ass. I would expect something that childish from 'O Great Zeus of Olympus'," said Cristopher jokingly to David. We all sat around the huge copper table in Freya's giant living room. A fire at least eighty feet high crackled loudly in a ten story fireplace at least a quarter of a mile away across the marble floor.  
  
"Well if Athena hadn't showed up when she did and yelled at Zeus to let her general go, my ass would have been lightning bolted," replied David loudly.  
  
"Ah, I can just picture it now. Athena marching in, her dome-tent- sized breast swelling at the sight of you, screaming 'let my Great Davideus go, or I shall swart yours heart!'." Him and April both let out a small laugh.  
  
"Yeah, something like that." David grabbed for more bread. He had already eaten twice his own body weight, as had April.  
  
"Actually, Athena was very brief," said April matter-of-factly. "She came in and saw me and David hanging by our ankles and started yelling in some weird language." I dropped my spoon. This wasn't right.  
  
"She...she talked a different language. Like not English?" I said.  
  
"Yeah, I know. It didn't sound like Greek, or at least not the Greek I know. It was more like Latin and Portugese rolled into one. Eventually I started to get it..."  
  
"You didn't understand it, April?" asked David.  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Yeah. She kept saying that we would not disobey. Loyalty to a god is not easily swayed. We are there to offer, not to obliterate. Things like that. You were probably just out of it."  
  
"Maybe, but I still usually catch the gist of things, even if I am out of it. Maybe my ears we weren't working considering I was being hung by my ankles."  
  
"Maybe."  
  
"Okay so we have to go back to the dwarves?" I interjected.  
  
"Yeah," said David. "April explained mass production. She was pretty brief, but they were already starting to make a conveyer belt by the time we had finished speaking. We need to go back and help him with a few things..."  
  
"Like a gattling gun!" yelled Christopher.  
  
"Er, yeah," said David. "Well anyway the Slepinir's have been waiting outside. Are you guys aware that we've been waiting here for about twelve hours. Supposedly the Sennites are getting pretty close to Fairy Land. We can't really risk anymore time." He was right of course. We also needed to propose the plan of attack on the Sennites.  
  
"My sirs of the Folkvang shall ride to the lands," said a loud voice. Freya. She wasn't in an actual shouting distance, instead the voice reverberated in my head. "Odin All-Seer has shown that we are to meet battle along the paths."  
  
"Who, the Sennites?" yelled Christopher towards nothing at all.  
  
"He shan't say, for it will bring about the fury of Yggdrasil. The battle shall be mine to fight also. No fight of my sirs will be fought without my utility."  
  
"Can we still ride to the dwarves?" I asked. We couldn't waste time fighting a battle!  
  
"Some shall. One of you will be captured. My men will suffer casualties. Two shall come who should not. Three gods of the four that fly will prevail. One shall die." Oh great.  
  
"Why don't you just keep them back? I mean, that way they will not die."  
  
"Fate works it's wonders on us all. No matter in what manner it is done, it will still happen. You must take fate with caution. Destiny will weave it pattern and we shall follow it. No stray of the pattern will happen. The needle will find the tapestry and we will succumb to it's glory." She was speaking in limericks again.  
  
"Well than, maybe we should ride fast," said David simply.  
  
"And indeed you shall. By fact you will be there in hours time. Odin will show you the way." Freya waved her hand. The damned mist again! It was swirling around. Enveloping my eyes and body. My little sphere of clearity. The familiar yanking in my midsection like I had just been lassoed. The hushed swoosh of passing air. Wind fluttering.  
  
CLUNK! Feet, ground, high-speeds, not a good combo. We all stood around the Slepinirs. Odin, Tyr, Loki, Freya, and Aegir stood before us. Odin's brimmed hat now had gold rings around it. He still looked like a Clockwork Orange gang-member. Aegir stood tall, very tall over the others. His skin had a waxy blue coat to it, like he was part of the Blue Man Group. Freya looked the same as before, big feather coat, huge silver necklace. She almost looked like a movie star walking out of Gucci or Saks Fifth Avenue. She didn't seem to match the common Norse attire.  
  
The Slepinirs pawed the ground nervously or excitedly, I couldn't quite tell. April and David were staring at their feet and bodies, obviously they hadn't traveled by mist yet. Christopher was staring at Aegir muttering about drums and streamers. This was the first time either of us had seen him up close, and last time he was behind a cloak and it was dark.  
  
"Come," cried Odin. "You shall ride swift and sure." I walked up to my Slepinir and pulled the briddle towards me. I climbed up. In a few seconds I was in the air again. 


	10. Chapter X

=========================== CHAPTER X ==============================  
We were lowering at enourmous speed. We had been in the air for only about an hour. The ride this time was much more eventful than the last. Tyr had kept up a battle hymn for more than twenty minutes that seemed to make everybody much more buoyant and ready. We continued trough the clouds at a breakneck speed and now suddenly we were stopping.  
  
"Hey Frey!" called out David.  
  
"If you wish to reach my brother, you shall weep at the fact that he did not join us," she called back, disdain in her voice. "If you wishest to address me, you shall address me as Freya of the Folkvang!"  
  
"Sorry Freya," he said. She shot him a malice filled look. "Of the Folkvang. Why are we landing?"  
  
Freya stretched out one magnificent finger and pointed to a large patch of trees beyond the large field. "They gather there. We shall fight them now. If we march beyond this point we will meet ineminent defeat. We must land now."  
  
My Slepinir-horse was the first to hit the ground. It wasn't as hard as I thought it might be considering that we were going at least one- hundred miles and hour.  
  
Freya hit second, than Aegir, than Christopher and April, than Loki, than Tyr and David. Once we all settled Tyr mentioned we should sit.  
  
"We must keep our voices down. Freya, I request the cover of seidr." Freya raised her hand. What looked like a streamer of water shot from her hand and wrapped us all.  
  
My skin was no longer solid. It was a clearish tan. Like I was made from human saran wrap. I looked around. The others were like that too. They looked like they were made of smoke.  
  
"We shall not move. They out number us. They have more than five hundred. I have ideas that that is not the extent of their numbers, am I right?" He nodded to me.  
  
"Er...I don't remember. I thought they had less than that," I said, to myself mostly.  
  
"Yeah, they did have less," said Christopher, A bit too loudly. "They only had like three-hundred. Something's not right. Is there anyone else there with them? Like Hetwan or maybe some elves or satyrs or something?"  
  
"No, it is just human, carrying stunted swords or arrows, I am not sure. There looks to be more coming. Freya call upon your brothers. Even under the cloak, they wil defeat us."  
  
Freya pulled both hands toward the sky. "Brothers of the Battle, relenquish your guard become the ones of the final fight. Brothers of Folkvang, I call you before the, your deaths shall feed the soil of Asgard!" With the sound of a million arrows bearing down, hundreds of men in shiny silver and copper armor slid down to earth as if made of jelly. The oozed down to earth and filled in the mold of their bodies within seconds.  
  
"Brothers of Folkvang! Welcome! Before you stands the menace which are soon to litter this glourious land of Midgaard with there cold blood. It is time to meet your time and fight them."  
  
David turned to me and whispered through clenched teeth, "I thought Tyr said to keep our voices down." As if on que the sound of gun shots errupted. A few of the men of Folkvang fell, blood spewing from tiny holes in the back of their armor.  
  
"Freya! Trenches!" screamed David over the loud taps of gunfire. Freya swept her hand through the air. A large brown hole pushed across the field as if some invisible buldozer was working in over speed.  
  
"Men! Man the trenches!" called Freya. All of the men stood around puzzeled for a second than all jumped down into the holes. I follwed.  
  
The inside of the trenches were cold and dark. They were long enough that it wasn't too crowded. A few archers stood up and fired than quickly got back down. Every time they would stand, a loud burst of gunfire would errupt. Eventually they went up in unison, though it seemed they weren't getting anywhere. Harsh yells could clearly be heard from the forest. I doubted that one single person was giving orders, but it wouldn't suprise me.  
  
Every now and then I allowed myself a peek at the forest. There didn't seem to be any movement whatsoever. Tyr seemed on the brink of screaming for us to charge. Freya was probably the only calm one there. She sat calmly with a long scythe drawn, yelling orders at her men in a loud but patient voice.  
  
Loki sat there sneering at the men ahead. His nose was up in a dignified way. I could easily tell he wanted to shout insults at Freya and her troops, but thought better of it. Aegir seemed furious. He sat their with a large axe, hacking at the ground for no particular reason.  
  
"Okay men!" yelled Freya. "We shall battle soon. Gather the horses!" At that instant, the Slepinir horses rose from the ground, no more than ghosts with fiery red eyes. "I trust upon the spawn of Slepinir, who is the child of Ygg, to charge forth and and do the bidding of your paternal forebearer. Kill all who try to destroy you. We shall be behind!" The Slepinir-kin rose up. They were no longer ghostly white, instead they were the color they were before, but their eyes shown even more ferociously.  
  
With a loud unison stamp they were off. The cold air was alit with the screaming of gunfire. It was as if someone had just dropped eighty tons of firecrackers onto a camp fire. I looked up and saw millions of tiny fire streaks zooming over my head. I didn't know how we were going to get anywhere with all those bullets flying over head. I could peak up just enough to see that every bullet that his the Slepinir either disolved within, or flew right out the back.  
  
"Men!" screamed Freya, with less composure now. "Rise!" What was she crazy?! There goes our army. All around me, armor clad warriors stood quickly. None dropped, no blood splattered my face or legs. I stood myself, as was April and David. In front of us was a huge rock. It wasn't there before, but it was now. Gunshots still rang out, in fact even louder although the rock should be clouding the sound.  
  
"Bows! Aim high and I shall carry you true." All the archers released a bolt high into the sky. They each soared over the enourmous rock. A few muffled screams could be heard from the other side. The gunshots became more frequent.  
  
A loud tramble could be heard from behind us. Quickly I spun around to be met by the enormous Skadi and Thor. Thor was gripping his Mljonir tightly, a abnormally large grin sweeping across hi face. Skadi was holding a large broadsword, which was clearly one of the Vanir swords.  
  
"Where of the battle do we stand, mighty Freya?" screamed Thor to Freya.  
  
"Mighty Brother! Come! They shall dawn this rock in a minutes time. My men shall be ready.but you must draw them back behind these lines. My magic does not hold against their weapondry." She hung her head. Was she ashamed? For that? "Aegir!" she screamed, picking her head back up. "Charge up a wave! Your rolling waters shall blast them behind!"  
  
"Aye," was Aegir's response. He was already holding a trembling ball of what looked like blue-white fire. He pulled it back with both hands, letting it grow steadily in size.  
  
"Release when the first face is over that rock. Bowmen! Aim high! Loose!" Hundreds of bolts flew straight over the rock, more screams were heard. "They are getting closer!"  
  
Tyr stepped up towards the rock. "Soldiers! Ready arms!" I bet they hated this. Being behind the war like cowards. I tucked my head down into my knees. Suddenly at least five of our men started to scream.  
  
"They breached the rock!" I heard David scream.  
  
"No! No! The rock isn't holding!" yelled Tyr. "The have penetrated! Aegir! Loose! Men! In the ground!" A barrage of bodies passed along beside and above me. All the men were in the ground once again. I rasied my head to see what was happening.  
  
The rock was no longer solid, or at least parts weren't. Bullets were flying through in certain parts and carrying what looked like loose clay with it. It was as if parts of it were liquid. Two more men had just gotten shot and more bullets were flying through.  
  
"Freya!" called Tyr. "Clear the rock! We shall charge them!" I looked up to see Tyr growing in size. He was already somewhere near fifty feet when Freya gave him more than just a Saran Wrap finish. He disappeared completely. Loki followed, growing more than fifty feet before disappearing completely. Aegir followed, as did Thor. Soon the rock sort of went liquid and washed away. Many more bullets started to fly forward. A few people still up above the trench started to fall.  
  
"Freya!" yelled David.  
  
"What is it mortal!" I guess she was still ticked becuase he got her name wrong.  
  
"The fox holes! Make some fox holes! And conceal 'em."  
  
Freya rolled her eyes haughtily and suddenly I wasn't there. I was invisible. My hands did not exist to me. I was not anywhere. For all I knew, I was just a pair of eyes floating above a dirty trench.  
  
"Rise up and flee for the holes in Midgaard!" I heard a voice say. It belonged to Freya. I knew Christopher, who was right next to me, had heard it, because he whispered something about being crazy. Something inside of me and him both caused us to stand. I felt him beside me, but I could not see him. Bullets that flew in all direction around us as the once attacking men were now firing wildly into the air at the invisisible menace of the gods.  
  
I could now see that ahead of me a round chunk of grass was lowering, like an invisible round lawnmower had flattened it. "Run to it now!" said Freya's voice. Quickly we all bolted. I felt like I was in a war movie. Some Everworld version of "Saving Private Ryan". Running. I was running.through a grassy knoll filled with crazed Nazi punks and insane Norse gods. I was running for my life.  
  
I dove. Head first maybe. Into the large indentation of grass. Not exactly the kind of foxhole you would have seen in Vichy France. I was so very tempted to just run for the forest. Or to go to sleep. No Jalil, no. If I went to asleep it might be the last time. There is no real world Jalil. There is just EW Jalil. There was no running from this. I would have to do something. Around me I could hear whistling of arrows and Freya blasting waves of fire at them.  
  
"Welcome to freaking World War III!" screamed Christopher over the roaring of Freya's fire stream. I could smell the burning flesh of the Sennites. Suddenly I was reminded of Hel's twisted kingdom. Of the dragon who fried Sir Galahad. I wanted out.  
  
"Victory is within our grasp!" Tyr. "We must reach out and grab it! M'lady Freya! Use the seidr on those trees! We shall clean the night with smoke!"  
  
Another roar of fire, this time accompanied by a jet of blue liquid. A enormous flash of light came from somewhere outside of the fox-hole. Loud thuds and crackles echoed all around.  
  
Thunder bursts. More erratic gun-fire. More loud explosions. Shrapnel flew all around me. From what I was not sure. Maybe I had slipped into insanity. Maybe there was a tank out there. Maybe we weren't somewhere outside the Norse kingdom, but instead in Normandy. I would poke my head out and suddenly be on the bloodied beach. My commander would be screaming for me to run to the rims. He would tell me to breach the hull and pop the smoke grenade so the B-52's could bomb the barracks. Maybe. But no.  
  
Shrapnel was still flying. It looked like rock. That was it. Someone was throwing rocks. But who? I poked my head up over the cold edges of the fox hole. Wavy ground. Wavy ground with horrendous bumps. I could see at least thirty men, Sennites, fleeing. The forests were burning. It looked like some failed slash and burn farm in Madagascar. All around Norse archers were loosing quick arrows, but there wasn't much to shoot at any more. The few Sennites that remained were doing frantic motions. Some had ran out of bullets and were frenetically throwing rocks in our directions.  
  
Tyr had shrunk again and was now charging the Sennites. He tackled one. The man rolled. Another ran forward. Used the butt of a riffle, but failed. Tyr kicked low, and the man's knees gave way...literally. Another didn't even bother. He just frantically threw a rock. It bounced and bounced untill it fell in to our fox-hole. But it wasn't a rock.  
  
"GRENADE!" I screamed to Christopher. Quickly I jumped up and out of the small circle hole. A loud screaming roar threw me upward. I landed on my head. Every thing faded. Blackness. 


	11. Chapter XI

CHAPTER XI

My head was booming. Something was scratching me on every side. Was I still in the battle? Did the Sennites have me? What was scratching me. I opened my eyes. I was in a bush. Naked. The glowing light of my porch was making my headache twice as bad.

I suppressed a scream. I was naked, and I was 100 percent whole. No silvery brown Jalil remnants. I was where I was last. Something wasn't right. What was I going to do? I was naked. I was in the real world. Everworld Jalil had just gotten an explosive charge to the face.

Maybe he was dead. Maybe that was it. Game Over, Jalil. No more WWII Documentaries starring Hitler's New Reich Territories of Everworld and the Allied Forces of the New Democratic Order of the Norse Battalion. No more shiny plate mail being torn apart by a 30.o6 and hand grenades. No more April, David, Christopher.

What the hell was this? I was naked. I was whole.

I rolled over quickly. The scraping branches poked at my skin. My knees carried perfect indentations of the twigs and branches and leaves that I was now kneeling on. I pulled on a branch above me, trying to gain my balance and stand up, but all the leaves pulled off in a wet sappy slide and I was on my knees again.

I crawled out of the bushes, trying to stay hidden. It was nighttime again. Not the same as it had been. It was morning probably. The west was growing gray with the overcast dawn. I had to get out of here. Had to get clothed. How would I explain this to the police, to my parents, to anyone.

Maybe we were all back.

Maybe I wasn't dead, but Everworld decided to spit me out. Maybe it wanted all of us out of there. We had done too much damage. The delicate interstitial of universe had been too worn from all the use and now its spitting us back to keep the tear from getting bigger. Maybe being back was a defense mechanism to keep from some universal overlap.

That would be great. The Vanir and the Sennites winding up in the North Shore. That would make a great 60 Minutes Story.

"Terror on Lake Michigan. Gunfire erupts as Neo-Nazi militants wage war against a group of Vikings."

Focus. Get out of these bushes. Get safe. Get your head together. I raised myself up and tried to stand without the aid of the dewy branches.

BOOM BOOM BOOM.

Muffled sounds came from the battle around me. I was bleeding. Bleeding from god-knows-where. My skin felt like it being pressed by a hot iron. The ringing in my ears. The burning light in my eyes.

BOOM BOOM BOOM.

I couldn't hear a thing. I couldn't see a thing. The sounds were all the same. The rat-tat-tat of gun fire sounded like popcorn in a microwave. It was all warm muffled sound. Like being encased in water, listening to a fireworks. The sound was so loud, but I couldn't hear a thing.

The pain in my skin increased. I was being dragged. The red hot iron had just tripled in size. I was being dragged up. I couldn't see or hear but I could feel. Reason told me to fight, but my limbs were weighed down. I was encased in tires. I was a rag-doll. Blind, deaf, dumb and burning. W.T.E.

The pain stopped suddenly, but in one more second, it was back. I was no longer being dragged. I was still. I could hear muffled voices. Muffled boom-boom-boom. Rat-tat-tat-tat. Clang. Plate male and swords against camouflage and M-16's. Full Metal Jacket against The 13th Warrior.

I was burning. My head was pounding. I was deaf. I could feel my arms and legs being picked up. I was being carried. The battle was over. They must thing I was dead. I tried to scream. I opened my mouth. The ringing got 10 times worse. I pushed all the air in my lungs up and tried to scream. Gurgle. Spatter. Choke. Blood in my throat. I keeled my head over and spit. Vomit ensued. I was puking. Was it blood?

I opened my eyes and tried to focus. They were burning with white light. I blinked out tears until I could feel my eyes getting read. I was still being carried.

More blinking. More tears. Finally a streak of blue was visible followed by red. Those weren't only tears I was blinking out. I focused and lost focus. Everything was blurring white and fogging blue.

I craned my neck up to look at what had me. Pain shot down my spine as my neck cracked followed by a sudden sense of being enveloped in a warm euphoria that was gone at the same moment. I opened my eyes wider. I screamed. Screamed so loud that I must have alarmed the man holding my legs because the next moment my head hit the hard ground.

I rolled over and threw up again. Vomit traced from my throat to my mouth. I could taste the sickly strong bile and could feel the chunks of food being carried out through my lips. I looked up. My heart pounding at twice its normal rate. My whole body went cold and constricted. I felt like I had suddenly stepped in to a freezer at the bottom of the ocean. My skin was being pulled to the muscle. The hairs on my arms stood and conducted electricity. Adrenaline pumped. My eyes had narrowed. Fight or Flight. My vision was perfect. My hearing was perfect. My pain was gone. I looked up at the Sennite in front of me.

I was as good as dead.


	12. End

BECOME THE BELLIGERENT

SNEAK PEEK

PERCIEVE THE PERILOUS

By: Cragun Rhees

CHAPTER X

Gun fire. All around me. The ground was warm with blood. All around me lie dead bodies. Sennites. Vanir. Everyone was dying.

I felt like lying down. I felt like calling out for my mommy. I felt like crying. April was crying. She was curled up in the fetal position, her body against the trench. Everyone needed to cry. This was a true war.

I couldn't see Christopher and Jalil. The last I saw Christopher had pulled Jalil from the trench after a grenade had invaded their safety. Jalil didn't look too good. He was bleeding and it looked like his legs had been broken. I was pretty sure Christopher had been shot. I saw him collapse back in to the foxhole before a surge of Vanir soldiers had stormed the forest ahead. They were dead. I was sure of that. The Vanir had charged an ambush. There was so much gunfire ahead that it was unclear what to do.

I looked to my left. Tyr was in the same trench. His broadsword out. His eyes were wide. He looked no longer viciously ready for battle. He was scared. His handless arm was shaking. The armor on his arm seemed to have melted down. The God's were getting cut down. It seemed impossible. Humans couldn't touch a god. There was something unique about guns that was destroying them. Freya was last seen clenching a wounded stomach, ordering her soldiers of Folkvang to charge the woods after Aegir had send a great fire-hose stream to purge the woods. Not sure what good that did. For all I knew, the Sennites had a fleet of M1's and peck of Blackhawks. We were finished. Odin-All-Seer had led his family in to a death trap.

Soldiers piled in to the trench with loud rattles. Many of them had blood streaked or dripping from their once untarnished armor. Some of them took of their helmets or plates to look at the streams of blood gurgling from their wounds. Some were crying. Some of the most brutal and most feared warriors in the history of civilization were crying. Senna had given war in Everworld a whole new meaning. Welcome to the Tet Assault of '69. Welcome to D-Day on the beaches of Normandy. Welcome to the Old World.

I army crawled my way through the trench to get to Tyr holding the bloody M-16 I had grabbed from a Sennite who had managed to fall in to the trench. His arm was still shaking ominously. His chiseled and perfectly muscular face was twitching with rage or terror. It was hard to tell which one.

I was scared. I was so scared that I couldn't even feel fear. I couldn't feel anything. I could see. I could hear my heart beat and I could hear the cracks of gunfire in the forest. I could see Tyr. He was close to crying.

"TYR!" I screamed my throat sore on that one. He didn't seem to hear me. His sword dropped from his hand. I quickly grabbed it and stood. We were both vulnerable like this, but the Sennites were busy making perforations in about 90 Folkvang soldiers.

I slowly held out his sword, as to not alarm him. He looked down. His eyes were full of tears. He was crying. I would be too if I wasn't a step away from pissing my pants again. These were his friends who were crying for mercy on the battlefield. His friends who were looking down at their stomach and watching their insides turned out. Even an experienced warrior would cry if suddenly he realized he was going to die without his brethren going on to win. Anyone would cry when they realized that they had just led their friends a comrades in to a slaughter.

"TYR!" I screamed again. I was reenacting Saving Private Ryan, except Tyr was Tom Hanks and I was the guy who gets his face blown in to his skull.

Tyr looked up at me with an expressionless face. He grabbed his sword with a shaking hand. His face looked pleading. This wasn't his battle. He had no idea how to fight this. My dad had two purple hearts. My dad taught me a thing or two about valor. I was the general and this was my war. I was Custer and this was my last stand. I had to take the reigns.


End file.
